13 minute read
THE ECO-FRIENDLY
(Clockwise from far left) Hassan Pierre; Amanda Hearst, shot by photographer Victor Demarchelier for Maison de Mode's Chic to be Green campaign; The Skateroom, one of the many brands available on the website, turns consumers into active contributors in socially engaged projects.
{THE ECO-FRIENDLY MAGNATE} Hassan Pierre
The entrepreneur and designer is looking to change the world one stitch at a time through his curated online boutique, Maison de Mode.
For Hassan Pierre, fashion has always been married to environmental and social good. After studying at Parsons School of
Design in New York City, the Miami
Beach native of Haitian descent launched a sustainable fashion line that would lead him to a fortuitous meeting. With his collection picked up by iconic West Hollywood retailer
Fred Segal and attention from major fashion magazines like Vogue, he also caught the eye of Amanda
Hearst, philanthropist and heiress to the Hearst Corporation, when she was writing for the company’s
Marie Claire.
Taken by his “flattering… contemporary and fun” designs suitable for a “working girl in NYC,”
Hearst was also drawn to Pierre’s sustainability practices using organic silk, bamboo and cotton textiles and his collaboration with a Sudanese refugee model and her organization to help women from that region.
A friendship and professional relationship soon blossomed and positioned to take advantage of a growing skilled labor force fostered by newer programs like the Miami Fashion Institute at Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Campus and the Istituto Marangoni in the Design District, alongside longer standing schools like the International University of Art & Design.
When it comes to navigating the world of ethical fashion, Pierre has some advice for consumers. “You have an impact on the world around you. Ask questions. What are your personal beliefs around the environment, animals and social causes. Are the brands you shop in line with your values?”
the pair founded Maison de Mode, a luxury ethical fashion retail platform, in 2015. “We shared a vision for what the industry should look like,” says Pierre. “There was a major gap between the marketplace and retailers when it came to sustainable collections.”
HOUSE OF CHANGE
Although Pierre stopped producing his collection in 2016, he was on the vanguard of today’s sustainable fashion movement, which includes labels like Stella McCartney EDUN, lemlem by liya kebede and Organic by John Cotton. Through Maison de Mode’s website and their occasional brick-and-mortar pop-up shops, Pierre and Hearst bring sustainable, ethical designers to consumers on one platform. In 2018, they brought on online luxury fashion retail heavyweight Carmen Busquets, co-founder of Net-a-Porter and an investor at Moda Operandi and Farfetch, as partner further cementing Maison de Mode’s status as a major force in the online retail space.
With more than 70 brands, Maison de Mode helps consumers make informed decisions about their purchases with icons on the site indicating whether a product is cruelty free, made with recycled or organic materials, created under fair wages and safe working conditions and other ethical standards. “People are realizing that sustainable fashion can also be the most luxurious and the most interesting,” says Pierre, who also sits on the board of Well Beings, a charity co-founded by Hearst aimed toward animal welfare and environmental protection.
ETHICAL TRENDS
He’s encouraged by Miami’s emergence in the sustainable fashion space as more companies — from local brands like Eberjey, Simonett and Miansai to major international designers like Naeem Khan — base their headquarters and production here. “Miami is a draw for those in the industry looking to create products in the United States,” Pierre says. They’re uniquely
WORDS BY SHAYNE BENOWITZ
One great challenge has risen this year: creating innovation through change. These business leaders are influencing their respective industries of law, healthcare, and communications with fresh ideas and a vision for the future. Together, they lead the way to the South Florida of tomorrow. Here, INDULGE presents the Innovators of Enterprise: Joe Natoli, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of Baptist Health South Florida; Albert Rodriguez, Chief Operating Officer of Spanish Broadcasting System; and Michael Fichtel, Howard Wander and Heath Eskalyo, Principal Partners of Kelley Kronenberg.
Left to right: Michael Fichtel, Principal Partner and Chief Executive Officer, Heath Eskalyo, Principal Partner and Chief Financial Officer and Howard Wander, Principal Partner and Chief Operating Officer
Kelley Kronenberg
40 years of Building on Firm Relationships. Powered by Lawyers, Driven by Business.
In 1980, Bud Adams, Chuck Kelley and Steven Kronenberg opened their new law firm in Coconut Grove with a handful of attorneys. Today, Kelley Kronenberg is a multi-practice business law firm with nearly 400 employees, more than 175 attorneys and 11 locations throughout Florida and the United States. One of the fastest-growing law firms in Florida and amongst the largest in the U.S. The firm serves all types and sizes of public and private companies, including small businesses and individuals nationwide.
Led by attorneys Michael J. Fichtel, Principal Partner and Chief Executive Officer, Howard L. Wander, Principal Partner and Chief Operating Officer and Heath S. Eskalyo, Principal Partner and Chief Financial Officer, they are not only prominent legal practitioners, but also acute businessmen. For years, the trio have applied their separate and distinctive but complementary visions, which embrace adding additional service offerings and locations in key markets to best service the firm’s clients.
“It's really been an organic but deliberate recipe of success. We are three lawyers now focused on business. We have visions, but to execute those visions we recruit the highest caliber of talent, attorneys, C-Suite executives and key advisors, who have helped us execute those visions throughout the years. It’s very much a team effort for the benefit of all under the umbrella of one firm,” Michael J. Fichtel, CEO said.
Kelley Kronenberg’s footprint was born in Miami, but has grown throughout Florida and beyond, and will continue to for many years to come. With offices in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, West Palm Beach, Miami Lakes, Naples, Orlando, Tallahassee, Tampa, Jacksonville, Daytona, and satellite offices in Chicago and Atlanta, the firm has strategically expanded its legal service offerings, administrative team, marketing prowess and technology.
“We want to be disruptors in the legal industry and beyond,” Health S. Eskalyo, CFO, said. “We are progressive and created our own model and mold. We want to prove that we are different with our business model and with how we are continuously shaping our culture – to elevate the business of law.”
Kelley Kronenberg is celebrating its 40th anniversary, but the founders’ core values -- hard work, passion and exceptional client service -- continue on today.
“We have carried the torch of our predessors and built upon it with great success. The three of us have worked our way up to leadership roles over time. And now, we have a duty to coach, mentor, and foster the leaders of tomorrow and pulling them up alongside us. We are now setting the stage for the next generation,” Howard L. Wander, COO, said. “The decisions and investments made today will benefit our clients, our attorneys, staff and communities for decades to come.”
Joe Natoli
Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of Baptist Health South Florida, the largest not-for-profit healthcare system in the region.
What are your business priorities? We know that consumers need reliable, safe, easy access to high-quality healthcare. Therefore, two of our top priorities are to expand access to care and to use technology to make that access as easy and seamless as possible. Just recently, we opened a facility in Downtown Doral, which gives those who live and work in the area convenient access to high-quality urgent care, primary care, diagnostic imaging and specialty care. Additionally, we just opened our second freestanding Emergency Room on Coral Way and 147th Ave in Miami. The new Baptist Health Emergency Care center, open 24/7, is especially convenient for residents in the ever-growing West Miami-Dade area.
What are your priorities within the community today? Our commitment to community is a vital element of the healthcare we provide. Particularly during the pandemic, we have worked with community partners and local government to educate residents and visitors about wearing masks, the importance of social distancing, good hand hygiene and knowing where to go for care. Currently, we are getting the word out about the importance of getting a flu shot, this year, more than ever. We are providing free flu shots in all of our urgent care and express care centers and donating thousands of doses to community clinics.
How is Baptist Health staying ahead of the latest trends in the industry? We live in a fast-paced on-demand, digital world. People want their needs met immediately. Healthcare is no exception. Baptist Health is committed to being a leader in the digital transformation of healthcare. We just appointed our first chief digital officer, Tony Ambrozie, who is joining us from the Disney Company. Baptist Health CEO Brian Keeley has given us the goal of becoming the Amazon Prime of healthcare in terms of ease of access and use.
Are there any specific innovations within medicine that you are excited about pioneering? There are several, but telemedicine certainly comes to mind. The ability to provide access to medical experts for patients wherever they are, at any time, is a remarkable way to expand access to healthcare. We also just rolled out Masimo, a virtual monitoring system, which allows patients to be discharged and monitored from home by our highly trained staff. This proved to be a game-changer during the pandemic, allowing patients to shorten length-of-stay in our hospitals thereby freeing up capacity for those patients who were most in need. We are also spearheading innovative COVID and non-COVID related treatments. We were one of the first organizations to use convalescent plasma therapy and continue to participate in clinical trials that evaluate the impact of existing medications on COVID patients. We just treated our first patients who were suffering from movement disorders using Insightec’s MR-guided focused ultrasound. This breakthrough technology is available locally only at Baptist Health.
What do you think are the future challenges for your organization? The pandemic has forced us to re-think how we operate. For example, nearly a third of our workforce is working remotely. We are learning how to balance safety and care, elective procedures and spikes in COVID admissions. We will leverage the capabilities of our 10 hospitals and thousands of caregivers, directing patients and flexing staff to the facility that can best meet patient needs or, in many cases, not to a facility at all. We have also been urging patients not to delay care, another healthcare emergency that has emerged in the shadows of the pandemic.
What are the opportunities for 2021? One bright spot that has resulted from COVID-19 is an increased spirit of cooperation among healthcare providers and local and state agencies. That started early in the pandemic when local healthcare systems worked together to care for cruise staff who were most ill, ensuring that no one intensive care unit was overwhelmed. We look forward to building on those partnerships, creating new ones and continuing to learn from and support each other.
Albert Rodriguez
Tell us a little about yourself. As a Latino with Cuban roots, who was born in Manhattan and raised in South Florida, I’ve got the New York hustler mentality, but also enjoy taking it easy whenever my busy schedule allows. I’m an FAU grad and worked my way up to Chief Operating Officer of Spanish Broadcasting System, which has been my role for close to 20 years. I’m a proud member of the MDCC Hall of Fame for Communications and Billboards Worldwide 100 Power Player List. All of my free time is dedicated to my wife and children. We work out together, BBQ, go out on the boat and spend as much time as possible by the ocean. The principles I share at home are the same ones that guide my career as a leader.
What are you most proud of in your role as COO at SBS? I’m so proud of the fact that SBS is the largest Hispanic-owned and minority certified multimedia company in the country. Our company, which was founded by Pablo Raul Alarcon, is the quintessential American Dream. Over 30 years ago, we had only one radio station in New York, WSKQ-FM La Mega 97.9, which is now the #1 Latin Radio station in the country. To date, we own 17 radio stations in top Hispanic Markets, reach 95% of US Hispanics with over 300 affiliates through our audio network, have the preferred Latin music mobile app, LaMusica, Mega TV reaches 22 million US Hispanic households.
What are your priorities within the community today? It’s our responsibility, as leaders in Hispanic media, to give back and make sure that our people know that we are there for them every step of the way. Since March, my focus has been to ensure that everyone on my team uses our platforms to support, empower, inform and help our community navigate through the recovery process. We’ve launched a multi-market, multimedia public service campaign, “Estamos Contigo!” (“We’re With You!”), with the goal of advising and informing Hispanic audiences on how best to cope with COVID-19 in their communities and in their daily lives. From health and safety tips to messages of encouragement from our DJs, Latin music artists and celebrities, the campaign has been an on-going support system for our people. To support minorityowned businesses, we activated La Voz del Negocio Hispano, where our award-winning journalist Mario Andres Moreno has been able to empower Hispanic business owners with information, programs, strategies and services that will help keep them open for business.
How is SBS staying ahead of the latest trends in the industry? We’ve been “the first” to break new music, bring artists of different genres on the same stage and so much more. Once the pandemic hit the U.S., we knew we had to shift gears and figure out unique ways to keep all Hispanics informed and engaged. We accomplished that by launching Mi Casa Es Tu Casa, an exclusive live audio stream performance series on our LaMusica mobile app and radio stations, with some of the biggest names in Latin music like Pitbull, Maluma, Bad Bunny, J. Balvin, Banda MS, Christian Nodal just to name a few. The platform has gotten so big that we’ve had to extend it through the rest of the year and will continue to develop it into 2021. It’s an exciting time for all of us in radio since we have a unique opportunity to tap into new audiences and create immersive (virtual) live music events that bring Latin music to life for everyone to enjoy.
What role does diversity play within the SBS organization? SBS was created with family at its core and we will keep that legacy alive forever. We’re proud of the fact that 90% of our company is a part of the minority community. What’s even more incredible is that we represent Hispanics of all backgrounds. You’ll hear it in our teams’ accents, the food they bring in for birthday celebrations and over conversations about our traditions. We are so proud of our heritage and culture and love to share it with everyone. Our casa at SBS is truly su casa. Everyone is welcomed for a cafecito.
